Ima Happy Cat dictates the pace in an impressive allowance score

Auburn, Wash. (May 22) – Sue and Tim Spooner’s 7-year-old mare Ima Happy Cat collected her 10th career victory in Sunday’s $29,500 feature race at 5 1/2 furlongs.

The quick gray zoomed to the lead and led the entire way, setting fractions of :21-4, :44, :55-2 and stopped the timer in 1:01-2. Dan Markle was the winning trainer and he’s had at least one winner in each of the 27 seasons of racing at Emerald Downs.

Jockey Kevin Radke was aboard for the win and it was his eighth victory in his past 12 mounts. Radke tied the track record with six wins on Saturday and with a Sunday triple leads all riders with nine victories through the first three days of the meet.

Ima Happy Cat, who has won three Emerald Downs stakes races, paid $4.20 to win as the betting favorite. Dontkissntell was second best and Zippin Sevenz rounded out the top three.

The first stakes race for older fillies and mares is the $50,000 Hastings Stakes on June 26. Ima Happy Cat has won the race two times (2019 and 2021).

Notes: The WA-bred Saint Pieus improved his record to 2-fo-2 with an impressive wire-to-wire score in the $25,000 Comfort Inn Auburn Purse. It was the first Emerald Downs win for trainer Niccolo Troiani…Coastal Jazz (WA) drew off to win by 3 1/2 lengths in the $25,000 Elysian Brewing Purse for trainer Steve Bullock…Wheel Rally (WA), trained by longtime conditioner Bob Meeking, who turns 94 next month, was a handy winner in the $22,000 Muckleshoot Casino Purse. The Tom Wenzel-trained Our Lyla Grace rallied powerfully to capture the $21,000 Bud Light Purse. A total of $179,000 in purse money was distributed over the 10-race card…Sunday handle: $2,321,400…Racing next Saturday and Sunday, first race 2:15 PM.